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Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Prout vs today’s global workforce + 3 more

Baba

Prout vs today’s global workforce

Namaskar,

As we enter into the culminating phase of the vaeshyan era, there are many issues that abound:
(a) Capitalist exploitation is becoming more & more intense;
(b) the economies of world are tied together more than ever;
(c) the ongoing use of an immigrant work-force and floating laborers;
(d) the outsourcing of work to various lands like China and so-called third-world nations etc.

For all these reasons and more today's global economy is precariously perched, and the common people are the ones suffering. Here is a Proutistic look at a few of the key issues.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


Capitalist exploitation: workers suffer


Capitalists create industry wherever they can find cheap labor and low costs to maximize their own profit. One of the repercussions of this is that capitalists force innocent and hungry workers to go where the industry is, leaving particular areas desolate and creating unrest all around.

Prout philosophy states, "Where there is no proper economic development, surplus labour develops. In fact all undeveloped economic regions suffer from surplus labour, and when the surplus labour migrates to other regions the region remains undeveloped forever." (1)

And this is what we see happening today. A few such examples are the undeveloped economies of Central America (i.e. El Salvador & Honduras) where unemployment abounds and surplus labour / workers head to the US for work. Once they arrive in the US, they are paid low wages and capitalists delight in their arrival. Worker migration is also at an all-time high throughout Asia and around the world. Such capitalists should not get scope to disrupt the whole economy and pressure workers to migrate from place to place for their daily bread.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

All in all, amongst other reasons, in capitalism big business swallows up smaller ones and things are cheap but the money is tied up in the hands of a few; so the common people cannot afford the commodities. Thus money gets centralised in one area and the gap between rich and poor is huge, and it is mounting every day.

In contrast, Prout creates an active economy with money rolling in local areas. By this way, workers need not be subject to all sorts of tortures and trials by having to move all around the globe in search of work, leaving their families behind. Rather a strong economy should be created in each and every samaj and the various samajas should have relationships characterized by coordinated cooperation. In that way, Prout is concerned with the holistic development of the entire community.


Self-sufficiency protects people & invites growth


Baba has introduced His samaj theory based on self-sufficient socio-economic units. In this system, industry gets developed where there are raw materials and an existing labour force. Where those living in an area get ample scope to work in that area, at the same time keeping an open door policy to others interested in residing in that samaj.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Prout philosophy states, "In modern India there are two distinct areas – one of surplus labour and the other of deficit labour. That is why people usually migrate from surplus labour areas to other regions. However, the very concept of surplus labour is a relative one. Where adequate opportunities for proper economic development have not been created, there is surplus labour. Labour becomes surplus in all undeveloped socio-economic areas. When surplus labour moves to another region, the undeveloped area has every chance of remaining undeveloped forever." (2)

Prout philosophy states, "According to PROUT, wherever there is surplus labour, top priority must be given to creating employment for all local labour. This policy will raise the standard of living of the local people and the whole area. If this policy is not implemented and surplus labour is allowed to move to other regions, and the Marxist policy that, “those who sow shall reap” is followed, then all tea plantations, coal mines and other natural resources will be controlled by outside labour. Local people will lose control over their natural resources. This will create a very dangerous situation." (3)


1st priority to local workers


Prout philosophy states, "PROUT's opinion is that local people must have first priority in employment opportunities. As long as there is not full employment for local people, continuous efforts must be made until all local labour is fully employed. In addition, no fresh developmental programmes will be started until there is further demand for labour. Scandinavian countries did not commence any new development schemes for this reason." (4)

   Prout philosophy states, "Where there is no proper economic development, surplus labour develops. In fact all undeveloped economic regions suffer from surplus labour, and when the surplus labour migrates to other regions the region remains undeveloped forever. In areas of surplus labour provision should be made to immediately employ the local people.”
   "While providing employment to local people, local sentiments should also be taken into consideration. Maximum agro-industries and agrico-industries should be established on the basis of the socio-economic potential of the region, and various other types of industries should be established according to the collective needs. This approach will create enormous opportunities for new employment. Through such an employment policy, increasing the standard of living of the local people will be possible." (5)


Conclusion


In the Prout system raw materials are not sent out from the samaj so that other more powerful regions can profit and get rich from those resources. And secondly, in the Prout system, ample local jobs are available so workers do not have to travel thousands of miles away and live in some unknown land to earn a living. Rather the buildup of the samaj system guarantees that people will get jobs close to home, in the area in which they live. After taking all this into consideration, others may freely immigrate to another samaj so long as they have merged their socio-economic feeling and interest with that place. That is our PROUT policy.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Hence Prout is concerned with the needs of an area and is geared towards making communities self-sufficient and the whole Prout philosophy is working in the favour of the exploited mass-- so that the common people can rise up and develop themselves.

Namaskar,
in Him,
Vidya’sagar

References
1. Some Specialities of Prout's Economic System
2. A Few Problems Solved - 2, Agrarian Revolution
3. A Few Problems Solved - 2, Agrarian Revolution
4. A Few Problems Solved - 2, Agrarian Revolution
5. Some Specialities of Prout's Economic System


== Section: Important Teaching ==

Inward journey, not external display


Here Baba condemns the use of such dogmatic malas and rosary beads etc.

Ananda Marga ideology states, "I have said it before and I say it again, that Sádhaná means fight against Avidyá. This fight is internal, not external. External or ostentatious fight will achieve nothing. In such a fight one's entire capability culminates in the acrobatics of dressing and decorating of one's exterior with málá (a rosary or string of beads for saying prayers), tilaka (a conspicuous mark between the eyebrows with sandalwood-paste or vermilion, jholá (a little sack for the rosary) and candan-chápa (or the mark of sandalwood paste on the forehead, arms and chest). Instead, spiritual aspirants have to fight against their inner, base propensities, and when they will wear the crown of victory, they will then realize that there is absolutely no difference between them and Brahma – they have become Brahma Himself." (1)

Reference
1.  Subhasita Samgraha - 3, The Intuitional Science of the Vedas – 6: Avidyá


== Section: Important Teaching ==

How AMPS became divided

Prout philosophy guides us, “Human unity is purely an ideological unity, which means unity in the psychic sphere. Where there is psychic unity, physical unity will also occur. In the realm of unity, unity is always psychic – ideological unity means unity in the subtlest level of the mind. However, psychic or ideological unity may be affected if we encourage the exploitation of one group by another. So to avoid this there should not be any scope for exploitation in society. And to ensure this we have to start a new order to safeguard the interests of the exploited masses. So for a proper social synthesis what we require is a common philosophy of life; that is, ideological unity. But to check exploitation in the physical sphere requires something more than this, and this something more comprises a common constitutional system, a common penal code, and the availability of the minimum essentialities of life.” (1)

Reference
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 15, Talks on Prout


== Section 3: Links ==


Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Human burial problem + 2 more

Baba
Human burial problem

Namaskar,

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all started in the Middle East long ago. And at that time there was a shortage of firewood, so when a person died then burning the body was not an option due to a dearth of fuel, i.e. firewood. At the same time, they saw that there was plenty of empty space. The solution they arrived at was to bury the dead bodies - not burn them. The propounders of those religions put this into practice. And so it became the standard rule: bury the dead body.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/


So many dead bodies & so little land


Now times have changed; the situation has become reversed. There is no longer a shortage of fuel; there are all kinds of scientific ways to burn a dead body. But there is a dramatic shortage of space, especially in the cities all around the globe. So the circumstances have completely flip-flopped.

But due to dogma, people do not want to burn the deceased. Followers of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism continue to bury corpses, per their religious dogma. So around the globe there is a crisis over where to bury those corpses. There are so many bodies and so little land.


Tombstones exacerbate the problem


At first, they were simply burying the dead, but not putting a tombstone to mark the place. Because making a tombstone was a big job. However, with the advancement of science, tombstones are now readily available. That makes the land shortage even more severe. Consider this: In the past the corpse was buried and then in a few decades or less another corpse could be placed in that same spot. But with the rampant and pervasive use of tombstones, burial spots are taken indefinitely - the arrangement is permanent.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

One of the dogmas fueling this issue is the mistaken religious belief in doomsday: Those religious followers believe they will unite with all their past family members in heaven. So they do not want to burn their dead body as they think they will need it in heaven etc. Thus even though all rational, logical, and scientific assessments point to curtailing the burying of the dead, those religious followers will not change their ways. They do not want to burn their dead body as they think they will need it in the future.

Now consider the dichotomy that is taking place: Billions of dollars are spent constructing fancy, state-of-the-art, skyscrapers for deceased persons. Such high-rise cemeteries are air-conditioned / temperature controlled, with marble lobbies, door-men, and all sorts of amenities. Side by side, within the same city limits millions of local citizens are living in shanty-town shacks without running water - and no access to clear water. These slums are full of disease, half-naked children, and women lacking basic medical care. Huge finances are used for the deceased while poor, impoverished people have nothing and struggle to remain alive. And all this is unfolding within the same city limits. It is an abuse of resources - and a slur on our human society.


Unsustainable planning


At present, there are 4 - 5 billion people on the planet who follow one of the semitic religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism). As they die and tombstones are erected for each person, all the remaining land will be quickly used up. And to start piling people into high-rise mortuaries is impractical and expensive. Such buildings are costly; they need regular upkeep; and, they will only last 100 or 200 years - at which point they will need to be taken down and rebuilt etc. So the whole entire enterprise of (a) burying the dead and marking their spot with a tombstone and (b) using high-rise cemeteries is completely unsustainable. It is an utter waste of natural resources, i.e. land, and a terrible misuse of money.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

So this dogma of burying the dead started out of necessity - i.e. due to a lack of firewood. That was two thousand years ago. And now it has become a big problem. A fight has erupted between the dead and the living. Those who are alive do not have enough space to live. For instance, in Cairo half a million people live between tombs due to a shortage of space. People literally do not have any room, just they survive sleeping among the tombs.

The new fad: skyscraper cemeteries


The situation has become so bleak and dire that now skyscrapers are being constructed to serve as cemeteries. That is the latest “fix.” That shows how dogmatic people do not like to give up their dogma. And that dogma - of burying the deceased and using a tombstone - is harming the growth and well-being of society. Such mortuary skyscrapers are proof how this very rule has now become a burden. Yet people are carrying the dead body of that dogma of burying the deceased.


Conclusion

1. This dogma of burying the dead started in the Middle East long ago due to an inability (i.e. lack of fuel) to burn the bodies of the deceased.
2. Now the situation is reversed. There is plenty of fuel for burning the bodies and a lack of land to bury them.
3. But swayed by their doomsday dogma and religious rituals, those followers of the Semitic religion are unwilling to change their ways. They do not want to give up their dogma.
4. The pervasive use of tombstones only exacerbates the land shortage problem by essentially making every burial spot a permanent ordeal.
5. In result, in cities around the world where the Semitic religions are dominant, they have taken to building skyscraper cemeteries.
6. This entire process is unsustainable. There simply is not space on this earth to bury the dead and have enough land for the living. That is why many say this is the fight between the deceased and the living.
7. The only rational solution is to adopt the practice of burning / cremating the deceased or some type of new, scientific “green” solution of composting the body.
https://anandamargauniversal.blogspot.com/

Namaskar,
in Him,
Daya’vrata

~ In-depth study ~

Cannot re-establish a dogmatic, religious theory


Ananda Marga philosophy states, “People also behave in artificial ways for the sake of the prestige of an ism – ways that do not correspond to their internal feelings. Isms have such an influence over the human mind that even if a person has been defeated through logic or reason, he or she refuses to accept the defeat. People therefore have to wrench their minds free from the serpentine shackles of isms.” (1)

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “Wherever there is movement it is related to time, space and person. A particular movement related to a specific time, space and person cannot tally with another movement belonging to a different time, space and person. When the movement of a particular time, space and person maintains parallelism of similar movement related to a particular physical and mental wave, the resultant is called an "ism". Therefore, when there is a change in either the physical or mental wave or both, the validity of a particular ism is lost due to the change in the time, space or person in which it was accepted. An ism may be accepted in a particular mental wave, but if due to a change in the physical wave the mental wave fails to maintain parallelism, the result will be that that particular ism will be considered [obsolete]. If anybody tries to re-establish an old political, economic or religious theory of two thousand years ago – a theory or ism based on past time, space or person – using whatever type of psychology, sentiment or adroit propaganda, it will not be possible to correlate it with the existing physical waves. Once lost the parallelism between the ism and the physical wave cannot be restored, even if the old mental environment is re-created. We perceive the change not only in the physical wave but also in the mental wave. No amount of scientific effort will make it possible to restore the mental wave of the past. There was a time when kings were worshipped as the incarnations of God, but today if anybody tries to reintroduce this antiquated practice using psychological propaganda, it will be impossible for people to accept it.” (2)

Foolishly consider themselves God’s chosen people


Ananda Marga philosophy states, “The followers of isms foolishly consider themselves to be God’s chosen people [because of their mental fetters], and they do not hesitate to brand others as non-Aryans, kafirs [infidels] or heathens, in utter [rejection]. They think that the Supreme Father bestows His grace only on them, not on the rest of creation. They are not prepared to understand that those they call non-Aryans, kafirs, heathens or mlecchas are also part of His manifestation.” (3)

Ananda Marga philosophy states, “People also behave in artificial ways for the sake of the prestige of an ism – ways that do not correspond to their internal feelings. Isms have such an influence over the human mind that even if a person has been defeated through logic or reason, he or she refuses to accept the defeat. People therefore have to wrench their minds free from the serpentine shackles of isms.” (4)

Here are some of the facts and figures related with these skyscraper cemeteries.


~ Courtesy of Daily Mail ~

The Brazilian solution features a series of over-ground crypts where families can visit the space where their loved one is held Cemetery overcrowding presents a challenge the world over, particularly in cramped cities and among religions that forbid or discourage cremation. The reality of relying on finite land resources to cope with the endless stream of the dying has brought about creative solutions. The world's tallest existing cemetery is the 32-story high Memorial Necropole Ecumenica in Santos, Brazil. In Tokyo, the Kouanji is a six-story Buddhist temple where visitors can use a swipe card to have the remains of their loved ones brought to them from vaults on a conveyer belt system.

Versions of stacked cemeteries already exist in some shape or form in places like New Orleans and across Europe, in Egypt's Mountain of the Dead, in China and in the amphitheater-like Pok Fu Lam Rd Cemetery in Hong Kong. And in some places they started recycling burial spots, such as in NY, and in other places they put tomb on top of tomb in a high stack. But the future will likely look more like the ambitious plan of Norwegian designer Martin McSherry for an airy cemetery skyscraper that looks almost like a gigantic honeycomb with triangular caverns.

Other plans for cemetery towers have been presented for Paris and Mumbai. In Mexico City, another big project has been proposed: the Tower for the Dead, which will combine a vertical necropolis and an 820-foot-deep subterranean complex. (Courtesy of the Daily Mail UK)


References
1. Prout in a Nutshell - 4, Ism and Human Progress, Caetra Púrńimá 24 March 1959 RU, Lucknow
2. Prout in a Nutshell - 4, Ism and Human Progress, Caetra Púrńimá 24 March 1959 RU, Lucknow
3. Prout in a Nutshell - 4, Ism and Human Progress, Caetra Púrńimá 24 March 1959 RU, Lucknow
4. Prout in a Nutshell - 4, Ism and Human Progress, Caetra Púrńimá 24 March 1959 RU, Lucknow


== Section 3: Links ==

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